Film Studies/Reverse Storyboarding.

Film Studies are a way to learn film composition by freezing frames on movies and drawing very simply the composition of the shot. I learned about this in Will Weston's drawing and composition class the fall of 2008 at the Animation Union. He started us with black sharpie/tombo/marker and then eventually let us use 2 grays and a white out pen/white pencil/gel pen. I like the technique. He suggested that I do film studies from all the movies that relate to my graphic novel (Hymn of the Pearl) and then use the shots as inspiration when I draw out the panels. I thought it was a good idea but I got away from it with everything else I've been doing but now I'm back trying it again. I'm going to use it as an exercise in the Pre-Production Class I'm team teaching at LMU.



Film Studies of Siddhartha (1972). I chose to do this because the Hymn of the Pearl is sort of a Siddhartha type story.

The Horseman (1972). Chose to do this one because part of the Hymn of the Pearl takes place in Afghanistan.

Ben Hur. Decided it to do it because it's a masterpiece and also a period drame like Hymn of the Pearl. Part of the Hymn of the Pearl takes place in Israel.

Studio II - Helms Bakery

Since Kevin Chen's class doesn't start again until October I decided to start taking an uninstructed workshop on Sunday morning led by Chris Hero. The poses were 3 minutes to 20 minutes.

Looking Back to Spring - Rendering

I took a rendering class with Glenn Vilppu in the Spring which focused on hour poses. I wanted to remind myself what I did and compare it to last night at Teale Street. I like my line quality in these drawings but I think my proportions are really hit or miss. I think Kevin Chen has really helped me get my proportions together. The trick is measuring - last night at Teale Street someone was talking to me about just drawing not measuring - but I don't agree - I think measuring is important. I think I didn't like to measure before because I really didn't know how to measure. I hope when I work with Kevin again I will get better at it than I am now/

Teale Street - 45 minute poses

Here are (3) 45' poses I did last night at Teale Street. I had problems with the shoulder blades on the standing pose. It was just hard for me to understanding what's really happening there. The seated pose feels a little stiff and I wonder if the heads too small. The reclining pose I had difficulty with the foreshortening. But I did get there!

Quotes

Every continent has its own great spirit of place . . .Different places on the face of the earth have different vital effluence, different vibration, different chemical exhalation, different polarity with different stars; call it what you like. But the spirit of a place is a great reality.

- D.H. Lawrence, from Studies in Classic American Literature


The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. In this long vigil he often has to vary his methods of stimulation; but in his long vigil he is also himself striving against a continual tendency to sleep.

- Marc Chagall

Get the Lead Out - Kline Academy - Gladiator

I did these drawings at the "Get The Lead Out" session hosted by the Kline Academy. I thought about the Anatomy Class I took at Gnomon with Charles Hu a bunch tonight. I thought I wish I could remember what he said about the flow of curves down the arms, and the abdominal muscles being like Chevrons. I had a hard time making the arms and legs curves vs. straights (like Kevin suggests) because the model was so muscular - it seemed like both sides of his arms especially were curves. Any way - I don't think they look that bad. I'm going to look back over my drawings with Charles. I did so much homework in that class but it just didn't seem like anything stuck in my brain. I just wish I knew why - I wasn't tired - the class was during the day. Maybe I just wasn't ready for what he was talking about.

Union Station - Quick Sketches

These are some quick sketches from Union Station field trip last week.